The Honjin Murders

by Kawai, Louise Heal | Classic crime
Published 10/09/2026 by PUSHKIN PRESS (Pushkin Vertigo) in the United Kingdom
Paperback | 192 pages
130 x 198 x 19mm | 182g

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

Japan's greatest classic mystery, from the author of Murder at the Black Cat Cafe

A pair of newlyweds are brutally murdered on their wedding night. Their bedroom was locked from the inside. A samurai sword thrust into the snow is the only clue.

One freezing night in the winter of 1937, the Ichiyanagi household is woken by a terrible scream, followed by the sound of eerie music. Death has come to the village of Okamura, leaving no trace but a bloody samurai sword thrust into the pristine snow.

Soon, amateur detective Kosuke Kindaichi is on the scene to investigate what will become a legendary murder case, but can this scruffy sleuth solve a seemingly impossible crime?

PRAISE FOR SEISHI YOKOMIZO

'The diabolically twisted plotting is top-notch' - New York Times

'Readers will delight in the blind turns, red herrings and dubious alibis... Ingenious and compelling' - Economist

'With a reputation in Japan to rival Agatha Christie's, the master of ingenious plotting is finally on the case for anglophone readers' - Guardian

'This is Golden Age crime at its best, complete with red herrings, blind alleys and twists and turns galore... A testament to the power of the simple murder mystery and its enduring appeal' - Spectator

'Plenty of golden age ingredients... with a truly ingenious solution' - Guardian, Best New Crime Novels

'Truly ingenious' Guardian

'The king of the locked-room mystery' CrimeReads

'The Japanese Agatha Christie' Sara Cox, Between the Covers

'Fiendishly complex and wonderfully atmospheric' S.J. Bennett, author of Murder Most Royal